"The Elders" Promote "Girls Not Brides" Initiative in India

"A group of prominent activists from around the world known as 'The Elders' arrived in India Thursday to take a stand against the practice of child marriage" and promote its global "Girls Not Brides" movement, VOA's "Breaking News" blog reports (2/9). South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the group's chair, said India's gross domestic product growth would be much greater if "women are given their proper place," Reuters notes. Experts say approximately 10 million girls under the age of 18 are married worldwide every year, often to an older man, without consent and before they are mentally and physically mature, according to the news service, which adds, "The practice is most prevalent in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, despite laws in most countries banning it."

"Tutu -- who is in India with some of the other Elders, which includes former Irish President Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was Norway's first female prime minister -- said it was imperative to address the issue as it was linked to development," Reuters writes, noting Tutu also said child marriage threatens the health of young women, as they are more likely than women 19 or older to die in childbirth and at higher risk of HIV infection (Bhalla, 2/9). A transcript of an interview with Tutu and Robinson prior to their trip to India is available on Huffington Post (Schnall, 2/6).

(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Beforeadding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.